10-year-old girl charged with 1st Degree Murder

In Wisconsin, a 10-year-old girl is accused of intentionally killing a six-month-old baby and has made her first appearance in adult court. The girl, whose identity remains undisclosed due to her age, faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge in the death of a six-month-old baby boy in Chippewa Falls, Wis. According to reports, the incident took place on Oct. 30 at a licensed daycare center in the rural town of Wheaton. The baby was found unresponsive and bleeding from the head, and the infant died two days later at a hospital in St. Paul. The 10-year-old girl was identified as the prime suspect, and police questioned her at the scene. According to Chippewa County Sheriff James Kowalczyk, the girl told authorities that she accidentally dropped the baby on his head and panicked when the baby started crying. She then stomped on the baby's head. Kowalczyk confirmed that a local doctor determined the head injuries were not accidental.

The girl appeared in a Chippewa County Circuit Court courtroom alongside her parents for her first bond hearing, and the hearing lasted only 10 minutes. The girl reportedly sobbed the entire time and appeared in shackles. The circuit judge ordered her to be placed in a juvenile detention center on a $50,000 cash bond. Wisconsin state law requires any child 10 or older facing first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, or reckless homicide charges to make their first court appearance in an adult court. However, the girl's case will likely be referred to the state juvenile court system.